Even though copper prices have not necessarily risen to alarming heights, theft of air conditioners for copper coils appears to be on the rise again in the United States, reveals ACHR News.

Oklahoma City-based Surface Mount Depot employees recently discovered 150 tons of HVAC equipment was stolen off the rooftop, 30 feet from the ground. Most of the stolen 18 rooftop units were 10-ton units that may have required the work of an experienced team and a crane, as there was no evidence of throwing the systems off the roof. Ted Davis, President and CEO of the company, estimated that the value for the scrap copper and aluminium was about $9,000. What scares most authorities is the fact that, with most stripping of outdoor units, refrigerant is released illegally into the atmosphere. In the case of the Surface Mount Depot heist, 150 tons worth of R-22 was believed to have been released into the environment.

“The government really should do something about this: tightening policies with scrappers”, he said. “There should be some form of regulation that requires tighter sourcing of scrap, or something to reduce the ability of thieves to so easily sell this stuff.” One solution, for Davis, is to install pressure-detection valves, designed to signal a central alarm when refrigerant line pressure dips to a certain level.